The present invention relates generally to a method of implementing an antenna system on an automobile and, more particularly, to the antenna system with broadband operating characteristics for use in a Personal Communications Service (PCS) device operating in the frequency range of 1850-1900 MHz, Sirius Satellite Radio (2320-2332.5 MHz), XM Satellite Radio (2332.5-2345 MHz) and the like, wherein the antenna is mounted on the exterior of the automobile with transmission lines connected to a receiver in the interior of the automobile.
Some antenna systems are added on to an automobile after the automobile has left the factory. With the antenna systems having broadband operating characteristics, the transmission lines are required to be routed from the exterior to the interior of the automobile so as to operatively connect the antenna to a receiver. The transmission lines typically take the form of a coaxial cable. Conventionally, the transmission lines for operatively connecting the antenna to the receiver are routed into the interior of automobile in two ways: through a drilled hole or through a glass coupler. Both of these methods have disadvantages. Drilling holes in the exterior body of the automobile may cause water leakage into the interior. Furthermore, due to warranty issues, many after-market installers are reluctant to drill holes in order to install the systems. Glass couplers can be used to couple RF signals from one side of a glass pane to the other side, so as to avoid drilling holes in the body of the automobile. However, when a DC power source is required for feeding an active antenna, such as that of a Sirius Satellite Radio, the DC power must be converted into AC and inductively coupled through the glass pane. The conversion of DC to AC has been found to produce harmonics that fall within the AM/FM band, thereby causing significant degradation to the performance of an existing AM/FM radio. Furthermore, RF coupling through the glass also introduces loss in the RF signals.
Thus, it is advantageous and desirable to provide a method for installing an antenna system having one or two transmission lines, wherein the transmission lines are routed from the exterior to the interior of the automobile, without additionally drilling holes to the exterior of the automobile body.
It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a method for installing an antenna system having an antenna located exterior to a vehicle having at least one electrically conductive wire to be extended into the interior of the vehicle for providing an electrical connection to a receiver located in the interior, without modifying the vehicular body by drilling holes or making other forms of apertures. When the vehicle includes at least one windowpane surrounded at least partially by a flexible seal adjacent a weather shield to a portal, the above-mentioned object can be achieved by a method which comprises the steps of:
positioning the conductive wire in the flexible seal;
leading the conductive wire from the flexible seal towards the weather shield; and
leading the conductive wire to the receiver through the weather shield.
Preferably, the windowpane is a rear window glass pane of the vehicle and the flexible seal is a butyl rubber seal, which keeps the glass pane waterproof.
Preferably, the portal is the trunk of the vehicle, and the weather shield also includes a flexible seal surrounding at least part of the trunk opening of the vehicle.
The present invention will become apparent upon reading the description taken in conjunction with FIGS. 1-4.